BEN - This
morning we decided to Americanize our breakfast and make everyone breakfast sandwiches,
which I think blew everyone's mind. Eric was smitten. After
breakfast, we said goodbye and paid Bernard. The morning was a bit grey, but there were
patches of blue peeking through, and throughout the morning the sun slowly
burned away the gloom. We rode back
through the rock formations from the first day, this time really able to see
all of them and marvel at their uniqueness.
We eventually exited and rode across a huge field filled with all kinds
of colorful flowers. In the midst of
singing all the Lion King songs in a mix of French and English, Eric (Zulu)
asked if we were ready to really run.
With that Jackie (Gabby’s horse) absolutely took off with Mashai and
Nandos close at her heals. My horse,
Tofolax along with Trigger, was a bit slower but we all flew across the field
whooping until a stream crossing slowed us down. Here we waited for Eric and
Eric (not running due to back pain) as our horses gratefully drank from the
clear water.
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| Bushman's Nek |
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| Francois is nuts |
A short while later we came
across Tsoelikane Falls. That small
river we had been crossing all morning had turned into a giant 25 m
waterfall. It was absolutely
beautiful. We all took pictures, but
Francois had other ideas. He stripped
down and leaped! Holy shit, that is a
massive jump. I snapped some really cool
pictures, but was too scared to do it myself.
If I get to come back again, I have to do it. YOLO.
After Francois dried off, we headed back to the giant valley we had
climbed the first day. We did some more
full out galloping, which is a blast, before stopping at the same lunch spot
where we were shrouded in mist on the first day. This time I had the mind bending
comprehension of just how high we had actually climbed; looking down at the
little trickle of stream way below.
After lunch, the decent began.
The horses were much more timid going down; Tofolax needed goading and
direction many different times, trying to pick his way down. Again at steep sections we would get off and
lead the horse by their bridles on foot.
It is much scarier having a giant horse behind you moving downhill on a
rock scramble, then uphill. If they
fall, you’re squished.
We
finally reached the river below and the horses started getting excited, knowing
that they were close to home. Again,
boom, Jackie was off with all the horses hot on her tail. The river valley that we had carefully walked
through and marvelled at for an hour and a half on the way up was now a
blur. Tofalax forded rivers, sprinted
through mud, and just plain ran with reckless abandon. It was so much fun. The three lead horses were soon nowhere to be
seen. We covered the entire valley in
about 20 minutes at a full sprint. It
wasn’t until the hard concrete of the border post that Tof slowed down and met
up with the 3 others. Hmmm, only 3
others? Gabby, Francois, and Cecile were
nowhere to be seen. This was very odd,
seeing as we were at the border, and I had Gabby’s passport in my pocket. A few minutes later, a breathless Gabby came
panting up and told us what had happened.
Jackie and Co. had decided that international borders weren’t worth
their time, and had continued their sprint right on through the border post
with Gabby yelling, “Sorry, we’ll be back soooooon!” The horses didn’t stop until they reached the
parking lot where we were dropped off.
They just essentially jumped an international border. Eventually, Gabby got the horses and two
Frenchman to come back and explain what had happened.
We sat and laughed and let the horses
graze. Tash showed up to pick us
up. On the way out we stopped at a small
shop and all bought bombers of Black Label which we drank in the bed of the
pick up on the way home. We laughed and
were silly (and a bit drunk) learning French and English words together. When we arrived at the backpackers, everyone
was extremely happy to shower, stuff their faces with Lulu’s dinner, and go to
bed early. What an awesome trip.
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